Patent GB-190703355-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Type-writer Operators.
Inventor: HUTCHES BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Filed: 1907-02-11
Granted: 1907-06-13
Abstract: 3355. Hutches, B. F. Feb. 11. Typewriters; feeding sheets.-The usual character, spacing, and carriage-shift keys of a typewriter 17, Fig. 1, are operated by an electromechanical k e y - board attachment, which is also provided with a key for carriage return, a key for automatically supplying a new sheet, and strip-perforating mechanism for producing a record for actuating the operator automatically to obtain duplicates ; line-spacing is effected automatically as usual on carriage return. Keys 21, Figs. 1 and 13, corresponding to the typewriter keys, complete circuits 35, 37 at contacts 29 through electro-magnets 34, the pivoted armatures 41 of which operate the typewriter keys by rollers 43. Extra keys 22, 23 also complete circuits at contacts 54,172, and all the keys actuate spring-returned punches 25 for perforating a strip 44 fed by a roller 45 actuated by pawl-and-ratchet mechanism from a universal bar 48. The strip perforations are not spaced longitudinally, except in the case of double letters and of the shift signal, which is of larger diameter, the extra feed in either case being effected by a special key actuating the universal bar only ; the larger diameter of the shift signal ensures that the carriage is shifted in advance of the type movement. In the automatic actuation, the strip 44 co-operates with contact-levers 123, the guideroller 46 being grooved to receive fingers 126 on the levers 123, and the record being made endless. The extra key 22 effects carriage return, by closing a circuit through an electro-magnet 86 to start a motor 70 in a circuit 95, 97, 98, and through an electro-magnet 63 for clutching a pinion 75, Fig. 10, to a shaft 69 driven by the motor 70, shunt circuits 96, 85, 87 and 96, 62, 64 being made by the armature 88 of the electro-magnet 86. The pinion 75 engages with a rack 81 on a slide 78 connected with the platen 84 by the platen-turning mechanism descriled below. When the carriage return is nearly completed, a stop 100 on the slide 78 engages a lever 58 and breaks the circuit at a contact 61, and the lever 58 is held tilted against the returning action of a contact-spring 57 by a spring catch 101, until a projection 103 on the advancing slide 78 releases the catch. The extra key 23 effects the rotation of the platen 84, Figs. 10 and 11, for supplying a new sheet from the bottom of a pile in a magazine 135 by means of a separator roller 132 and guard 143 ; the magazine 135 is provided with a transverse partition 145 adjustable for width of sheet. The platen knob 83 is clamped to a head 168 having a ratchet connexion 167 with a shaft 164 connected by bevel-gearing 163, 161 with an elongated pinion 147 mounted in the slide 78. A pinion 148, Fig. 13, engages with the pinion 147, and the key 23 closes the circuit of an electro-magnet 158 to clutch the shaft of the pinion 148 to the motor shaft 69. Means is provided for rotating the platen for any desired length of time according to the length of sheet, the key 23 being depressed first to start the rotation and then again to stop it. For this purpose, the circuit 186, 176 of the electromagnet 158 includes a ratchet-wheel 180 with alternate conducting and non-conducting teeth, the wheel 180 being advanced by pawl 179 on the armature of an electro-magnet 174 controlled by the key 23. During this feed by the key 23, the time interval must be registered by a feed of the record strip, and for this purpose, the motor 70 is started by a switch 104 and the feed-roller 45 is driven by worm gearing from the motor shaft 69 through a clutch controlled by an electro-magnet 110 in a circuit 109, 111 controlled by a switch 188. When the strip control is used, the switches 104, 188 are closed, so that the motor 70 is driven continuously either normally in the circuit 105, 97, 98, or for carriage return, in the circuit 95, 97, 98, and the record strip is normally advanced, but is arrested during carriage return by breakage of the circuit 109, 111 at contact 91.